Fencepost



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L. CORNELIUS'.

FENCEPOST.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 23,1919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

L. CORNELIUS.

FENCEPOST. 1,336,680. APPLICATION FILED IuNE 23, 1919'. Patented Apr! 1920.

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[1. CoffzeZZ/Jgmmz LOGAN CORNELIUS, OF HARDY, OKLAHOMA.

EENCEPOST.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 13, 1920.y

Application filed June 23, 1919. Serial No. 306,041.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOGAN CORNELIUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hardy, in the county of Kay and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful F encepost, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fence posts, the primary object being to providey a fence post particularly adapted to lands which are subjected to floods and which is of such a construction as to permit the posts 'carrying the fence wires to assume a horizontal poA sition to allow driftwood and the like to pass thereover without damaging the fence construction or posts, the fence posts being manually raised Vto operative position after the water has passed from the land.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence post which 'will automatically assume a horizontal position upon the engaging of the fence post by floating objects coming into contact therewith, to allow these objects to float over the fence without damaging the same.

It is another objectof this invention to provide a fence post having the above characteristics, having a latch mechanism associated' therewith for retaining a gate in closed position which is automatically released to allow the fence post and fence to fall to the ground but which will leave the gate standing in operative position.

Still another object resides in the provision of a fence post and fenceV construction that is rigidly retained in vertical position but which willbe readily released to allow the fence post to'assume a horizontal position upon the ground upon the proper pressure being exerted against the fence post or fence.

Another object of`this invention 'resides in a fence post which will readily swing to a horizontal position when the land becomes flooded and which willbe of such a construction as to permit the post being raised to its normal'position without the use of tools and there-arranging of the fence. l

An additional object of this invention resides in the provision of a 'fence' vpost having the above characteristics which is simple in construction, which consists of few `parts that may be readily assembled and disassembled, Vand which may be `manufactured and sold at a nominal cost.

With the above and other Objects and edvantages in mind, the invention consists of combinations of elements, constructions and arrangements, operations and general assemblage, the details of which will be hereinafter referred to and claimed, the invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side'elevation of a fence post constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a like elevation taken at rightangles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View through the post showing the manner of connecting the two sections of the post together; Y

Fig. 4 is fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of the post;

F ig. 5 is an elevation taken at right-angles to Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a top elevation of the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

`On the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate like parts in all of the views, the numeral 5 designates the stationary section of my improved fence post which is embedded in the ground or posil tioned in a cement foundation of usual con struction. The upper end of the stationary section 5 has lugs 6 formed upon one face thereof of triangular formation in cross section and arranged at right-angles to each other. A movable section ofthe Jost indicated at 7 is provided with recesses 8 which normally receive the lugs 6. The upper end of-this section 7 is provided with av recess 9 of V-shaped formation which receives a lug 10 identical with the lugs 6 of the main section of the post, the latter being indicated at 11 and being pivotally connected with the upper end of the section 7 by a pivot -bolt 12 which extends at right-angles to the pivot bolt so that the main section 11 may swing at right-angles to the section 7, the wires of the fence being attached to this main section 1-1.

Pivotally mounted upon one face of the stationary section 5 and adapted to swing in the same plane ais the section 1,1 is a locking plate 13 the outer face of which is beveled 'toward one of its longitudinal edges. This plate is provided with a slot 14 which eX- tends transversely of the plate and receives the bolt 7. A finger is formed at the upper end of the wedge or locking plate and is designated by the numeral l5.

The upper end of the movable section 7 is cut out from one side thereof as indicated at 16 to permit the lateral or swinging movement of the main section of the post. Extending transversely through an d K Vcoil spring bearing against this bar 2O and urging the same forwardly. Fixed to rotate within pintles or bearings 22 of the trip bar 2O is a trip 23 having its lower end bifurcated as at 24C to receive the linger 15 so that a loose connection is formed between these two members through the medium of which the latch plate 13 is rocked on its pivot. Engaged in a notch 25 in the trip bar 2O is a wire 26 with which lloating objects are adapted to contact to move the bar 20 inwardly toward the section 11 of the fence post. When this bar 2O is moved inwardly against the tension of the coil spring 18 the trip is rocked away from the section 11 thus rocking the notch plate on its pivot and moving the plateso that its narrow longitudinal edge is moved in a direction toward the main section 11. When the parts have thus been moved lthe section 7 will be free to move laterally on the bolt to disengage the lugs 8 from the recesses 9 into section 7 and allow the main section and the parts carried thereby to assume a horizontal position as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

' 4In order to allow the main section 11 to swing laterally when the part I2() is moved inwardly, abifurcated beveled latch plate 27 is 'slidably engaged with the bolt 12 and has its upper end pivotally connected with a link 28 pivoted to the section `11 and having-.its Jfree end engaged in an opening 29 in the trip 23 so that when this trip Vis actuated the latch plate 27 is moved to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 to allow'the joint between 'the section 5 and l j section 7 to become broken. v

vIn some instances it is necessary to einploy a gate and in this case the construction of the post is modified, such a modiiied construction being illustrated in'Figs. 4c, 5 and 6 of thel drawings. Referring to these fig- Y ures a post of the gate is indicated at 29.

' In order to latch the gate to the fence post a chain 30 is engaged about ythe post and has one end attached to the section 11'fpermanently, while its opposite end is 'Y engageable with a pivoted latch 31 that'is mounted upon the section 11 and is normally disposed in a vertical plane,va keeperl 32 being provided which is pivoted adjacent the latchand Uengageable therewith. The keeper is longitudinally curved toward the trip bar 2O and has its free end disposed in the path ofmovement of this trip bar so that when the trip bar moves inwardly the keeper is rocked on its pivot and disengaged from the latch to allow the same to drop and the chain disengaged therefrom.

This construction is merely illustrative' and it will be understood that the same may be modified and altered in many respects, and that my limitsof modification are governed only by what is claimed.

What is claimed is 1f. Ina fence post, a rigid section adapted to be supported in the ground, a second post section which is connected with the rigid section, a main post .section hingedly connected with the second sectionand capable of pivotal Vmovement in Vav'direction at right-angles `to the second section, means Jfor retaining all of the Vsections rigidly connected together, and means for rendering the first-mentioned means inoperative upon a Floating object contacting with the latter, and moving it.

2. In a fence post, a rigid section, a( movable section hingedly connected with the rigid sectioma main post sectionv hingedly connected Awith the hingedsection and capable of movement at right-'angles tothe latter, slidable 'latch' plates engaging the pivot joint of the sectionsand normally retaining the same againstV pivotal movement, and a trip bar disposed forwardly of the main section and operatively connected with the latch plate whereuponV a floating object contacting with the trip bar,` the latch plates hinged joints of the sections to retain the same in a vertical rigid position, a trip bar hingedly connected with the main section extending forwardly of the'same, an'opera# tive connection betweenthe trip bar and the latch plates, and 'anexpansible coil spring urging the trip b anforwardlyto normally retain the Aplates in locked position, the'trip bar moving the plates to a position to allow the hinged'jomt tol become Ybroken upon the moving of thetrip bar againstthe tension f 4. In afenceposh-a stationarys'ection, a section hingedly connected to the stationary section,` a main section vhingedly connected with the j hinged section and' movable at i right-angles thereto, latch plates' engaging the hinged joint and normally retaining the sections in a rigid vertical position, a bar projecting from the main section, a trip bar hingedly connected with the main section and having an opening therein for the reception of a latch, means operatively connecting the trip bar and the latch plates whereupon the moving of the same in one direction the latch plates will be moved to allow the sections to move on their pivot, and an expansible coil spring encircling the rod and urging the trip bar away from the main section.

5. In a fence post, a stationary section, a second section hingedly connected therewith, a main section hingedly connected with vthe second section and movable at right-angles thereto, latch plates engaging the hinged joint of the sections and normally retaining the same rigidly connected together, a trip bar pivoted on the main section, a bifurcated trip carried thereby, a finger on one end of the latch plates engaging the bifurcated trip plate, a connection between the other latch plate and the trip for actuation of the same, and a trip bar adapted to move, upon an object engaging therewith for actuating the trip to actuate the latch plates to allow the sections to move on their pivots.

6. In a fence post, a stationary section, lugs formed upon one face of the stationary section, a second section having recesses in one face thereover to interlock with the lugs, a pivot bolt passing through the two sections, the second section being provided with a recess in its opposite end, a main post section. a lug formed upon the lower end thereof and interlocked in the recess, a bolt passing through the upper end of the main section and the second section, a beveled plate slidably engaged upon the first-mentioned bolt and normally retained in position to prevent the second section from moving laterally with respect to the stationary section, a bifurcated latch plate slidably engaged with the second bolt and normally retaining the main section against pivotal movement, a trip bar extending forwardly of the main section and hinged thereto, a trip fixed to the trip bar and operatively connected with both the latch plates whereupon the moving of the trip bar in one direction the latch plates will be moved to a position to allow the lugs to ride out of the lleresses to allow the sections to move on the 7. A fence structure including a stationary element and a movable element, means carried by the movable element, for holding the pivoted section and stationary section together, a latch operating mechanism independent of the means, for operating said means, to permit the movable element to swing downwardly, and means for returning said latch operating mechanism to its normal position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOGAN CORNELIUS.

Witnesses:

J. P. SANDLIN, LYNN V. ROGERS. 

